What song are you listening to?

Michael Bublé - Feeling Good

Man, this guy is just classy.

'The Right Thing Right' - Johnny Marr

http://www.nme.com/news/johnny-marr/67565

Didn't care for 'The Messenger' (reminded me too much of Bernard Summer's Electronic), but this is surprisingly good.

Speaking of ex-Smiths members, where the fuck is Lazenby.?

Love it.

The Rolling Stones new single/video, Doom and Gloom, from GRRR!

More rock and raunch from the legendary badboys.

Girls just can't keep their clothes on.Features Noomi Rapace topless dancing.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/movies/The-Rolling-Stones-Doom-And-Gloom/videoshow/17318340.cms

tiffanywint wrote:

The Rolling Stones new single/video, Doom and Gloom, from GRRR!

More rock and raunch from the legendary badboys.

Girls just can't keep their clothes on.Features Noomi Rapace topless dancing.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/movies/The-Rolling-Stones-Doom-And-Gloom/videoshow/17318340.cms

There's life in the old dogs yet ... proper riff-heavy rock 'n' roll, with that unmistakeable Stonesian (Jagger) swagger.

I wonder what Laz and Loomster make of this? Personally I love it. Best thing Suede have done in aeons.

Here's Brett Anderson on Barriers.

“After a year of sweating and bleeding over the record it's finally finished so we wanted to get some music out there as soon as we could. ‘Barriers’ isn't the first single but we are proud of it enough just to chuck it out there and thought that it's pulsing, romantic swell somehow summed up the feel of the album quite nicely . The album is called Bloodsports. It's about lust, it's about the chase, it's about the endless carnal game of love. It was possibly the hardest we've ever made but certainly the most satisfying. It's ten furious songs for me have reclaimed from ourselves what Suede was always about; drama, melody and noise.”

Played this for the first time in about 15 years...chorus sorta popped up in my mind and I googled it...never knew it was Midnight Oil

Last song I listened to was "I'll Wait" by Van Halen!

got to love how it just melds to the shots right down to Oldman sitting in Control's chair. Bitchin' song too.

Largo's Shark wrote:

I wonder what Laz and Loomster make of this? Personally I love it. Best thing Suede have done in aeons.

It's one of the only things they've done in aeons, to be fair. Which is one of the reasons I'm not quite feeling this new material just yet. Eleven years in waiting builds up far more expectancy than any of the new material has delivered upon thus far. As Brett solo material, I'd maybe be fine with what I've heard of the new Suede stuff because expectations are lowered, but the Suede brand name is one which delivered three great albums out of four, plus at least a dozen b-sides which most bands would kill to call their own. You only come back after eleven years if you've got something to offer, something to say or something to prove, and the new Suede material doesn't really convince me that any of those three criteria have been met. The Bowie album coming out just a single week prior to Suede's album hasn't helped to put the Suede album at the top of my priority list either, a real dumbass move by Suede, especially in light of how just one risky release decision last time around seemed to wipe out 90% of their fanbase overnight. I'd predict the new Suede album to bomb perhaps even worse than their last album did. Bowie, on the other hand, I'm predicting to score a number one album with his comeback, and people will still be listening to (and buying) The Next Day when Suede's album arrives, leaving the Suede album barely untouched in it's wake.

I love Suede and have really liked the last two Brett solo albums, and I'll be there opening day to buy the new album. But it'll probably take an absolute miracle for it to shift Bowie from the disc drawer any time soon.

Lazenby. wrote:

The Bowie album coming out just a single week prior to Suede's album hasn't helped to put the Suede album at the top of my priority list either, a real dumbass move by Suede, especially in light of how just one risky release decision last time around seemed to wipe out 90% of their fanbase overnight. I'd predict the new Suede album to bomb perhaps even worse than their last album did. Bowie, on the other hand, I'm predicting to score a number one album with his comeback, and people will still be listening to (and buying) The Next Day when Suede's album arrives, leaving the Suede album barely untouched in it's wake.

Agreed. Terrible timing on their part, especially as Suede owes so much to 70s Bowie. That said, as singles alone - "Barriers" utterly kills the tepid "Where Are We Now?" "It Starts And Ends With You" isn't as impressive or memorable, but still has some of that magic last heard on Coming Up.

Been listening to Brett and Mat on XFM's Mixtape last couple of Sundays, discussing and playing records that influenced them. Good stuff.

Have you got round to NO's Lost Sirens and My Bloody Valentine's m b v yet?

To be honest, none of the three songs you mentioned really grab me, but I'm an album man; if the tracks work within the context of the albums I'll be content. Bowie releasing Where Are We Now? is a move akin to if he'd released (the albeit slightly superior) Loneliest Guy as the lead-off single from Reality, in that by all accounts, WAWN is just a moment of reflection on an album which otherwise is said to rock quite a bit. Plus the lead-off singles from both Heathen and Reality were nowhere near the best those albums had to offer (probably not even among the best half-dozen tracks from their respective albums), so I'm not too worried.

Just wish Suede had released their album a month earlier or a month later.

Haven't gotten around to Lost Sirens, though probably will at some point. Two or three tracks on the actual album weren't exactly great though, so I'm a tad wary. Never heard a thing by MBV, TBH.

been a year since Davy Jones died, so perhaps his most famous song.

Lazenby. wrote:

Largo's Shark wrote:

I wonder what Laz and Loomster make of this? Personally I love it. Best thing Suede have done in aeons.

It's one of the only things they've done in aeons, to be fair. Which is one of the reasons I'm not quite feeling this new material just yet. Eleven years in waiting builds up far more expectancy than any of the new material has delivered upon thus far. As Brett solo material, I'd maybe be fine with what I've heard of the new Suede stuff because expectations are lowered, but the Suede brand name is one which delivered three great albums out of four, plus at least a dozen b-sides which most bands would kill to call their own. You only come back after eleven years if you've got something to offer, something to say or something to prove, and the new Suede material doesn't really convince me that any of those three criteria have been met. The Bowie album coming out just a single week prior to Suede's album hasn't helped to put the Suede album at the top of my priority list either, a real dumbass move by Suede, especially in light of how just one risky release decision last time around seemed to wipe out 90% of their fanbase overnight. I'd predict the new Suede album to bomb perhaps even worse than their last album did. Bowie, on the other hand, I'm predicting to score a number one album with his comeback, and people will still be listening to (and buying) The Next Day when Suede's album arrives, leaving the Suede album barely untouched in it's wake.

I love Suede and have really liked the last two Brett solo albums, and I'll be there opening day to buy the new album. But it'll probably take an absolute miracle for it to shift Bowie from the disc drawer any time soon.

To belatedly answer your question, Sharky, like Laz I'm finding myself underwhelmed by what (little) I've heard of Suede's new material.

I was a massive fan of Suede from 1993 to about 1997. For a short while back there, Anderson and Butler were up there with Brown and Squire or Morrissey and Marr. Like all terrific bands, their B-sides were often much better than their A-sides (and sometimes even better than their album tracks) - an NME review of the 1997 B-sides compilation Sci-Fi Lullabies called it better than OK Computer, and I'd certainly echo that verdict. Dog Man Star is an incredible album, while the epic single "Stay Together" was the "How Soon Is Now?" of its year, and after Butler's exit Suede pulled off an astonishing, against-the-odds comeback with a new guitarist and the terrific Coming Up album.

If Oasis initially seemed as though they could be the new Stone Roses, Suede initially seemed as though they could be the new Smiths. Alas, both Oasis and Suede fizzled out and failed to deliver on their early promise. Head Music killed my interest in Suede and A New Morning failed to reawaken it.

So what's my take on Suede in 2013? Well, I don't care for the two or three songs I've heard - what little I've heard of Anderson's solo work has impressed me more. These new Suede songs strike me as dull and by-the-numbers. And I wish Butler were part of this reunion. With Richard Oakes Suede were (for a while, at least) a very good band - but with Butler they were potentially a great band. Nothing against Oakes, who is a good guitarist and songwriter and undeniably responsible for some of Suede's finest moments.... but the classic lineup is the classic lineup. If The Stone Roses were currently touring with Aziz Ibrahim on guitar instead of John Squire, or with Robbie Maddix on drums instead of Reni, I'm sure they'd still be terrific (and, as a massive fan, I'd certainly go and see them and continue to follow their career), but it just wouldn't be the same band as in the golden age.

(Of course, Anderson and Butler have already had their reunion, as The Tears, which resulted in some decent songs but didn't quite hit the spot, for me at least. Solo Butler didn't tickle my fancy, although I'd strongly advise picking up The Sound of McAlmont & Butler.)

As I say, I went off Suede after Coming Up. To my mind, they carried on too long and made an album or two too many (like New Order). Unlike The Smiths and The Stone Roses, they did not quit while they were ahead.

It's interesting to observe all these giants of yesteryear making near-simultaneous long-awaited comebacks with new material. I won't comment on Bowie as I'm not a fan of his and don't know much about him, but to my mind My Bloody Valentine have knocked it clear outta the park, while Johnny Marr has just about acquitted himself and Suede have (judging by what I've heard so far) failed to recapture their old magic.

Head Music admittedly wasn't their best, but I stll have a soft spot for these -







I had a ticket for their 'hits' tour, only for the gig to be cancelled ... I guess a new album might see them out on tour again, though (hopefully with a set that of course will have new stuff, but will also be heavy on the likes of Animal Nitrate, Beautiful Ones, Electricity etc).

I saw Verdi's DON CARLO at the Met on Thursday (a truly magnificent production, the best I've seen at the Met), and now I can't stop listening to Ferruccio Furlanetto's magnificent performance of "Ella giammai m'amo," which, when we saw it, brought down the house.

One of the most honest punk songs ever written. Great use of the famous Hard Days Night chord (D7sus4 voiced as D-A-C-G-A-D). Love the use of the Clavinet.

Did Nicki Minaj steel her Roman voice from Andy Partridge?

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Head Music admittedly wasn't their best

I thought Head Music was a perfectly good album at the time, though the weakest four or five tracks from the album have just gotten worse over time (Savoir Faire has inexcusably awful lyrics in places, Asbestos really drags after a few listens, the rock-out of Elephant Man ultimately dissolves into embarrassment upon repeated listens, as does the witlessly predictable punning in the chorus of the title track, while Crack In The Union Jack sounds like a five year old with an acoustic guitar in his bedroom trying to do an impression of Space Oddity-era Bowie), but the remaining eight(?) tracks are all fine by me and, for my money, include some of the band's most beautiful moments (Down, Everything Will Flow, Indian Strings and She's In Fashion are all gorgeous, the latter has simple lyrics but the beauty in the production and arrangement overpowers them and turns it into an irresistible piece of polished pop perfection), while Can't Get Enough is still a killer electro-rock stomper which has aged rather well. Their last album is where they really blew it IMO, it's the sound of a band in complete disagreement as to what type of album they want to make, in that most of the band want to stick with the tired Coming Up formula while Brett clearly wants to make a more summery pop record. In the end, most of it just sounds like material that only got put out at all so that the band could get rid of it and move on.

Brett's last two solo albums are pretty damn good though and, despite my slight indifference to what I've heard so far, I've still got a smidgeon of confidence that Bloodsports could be decent. Actually, after the slightly underwhelming Bowie album, I'm growing more and more eager for Suede to deliver the goods.

What do you think of Bernard Butler's solo work, Laz? I haven't heard much of it myself but "Stay" is an amazing song.

Been listening to The Tears for the first time since 2005 - "Apollo 13" is great.

I love Butler's songwriting and guitar playing, but I'm never been a big fan of his singing. He needs Brett Anderson, David McAlmont or someone.

Sure, but you could say the same of Johnny Marr and John Squire, yet both have still managed to make excellent solo albums (The Messenger has grown on me tremendously, BTW).

Not familiar with Squire's solo work, but I don't have any problems with Marr's singing voice. Sure, it's not the dulcet tones of Morrissey, but it doesn't get on my nerves. Butler on the other hand sounds like a grown man trying to sound like a little girl. Or Jennifer Tilly.

He reminds me of another singer I hate. Jake Bugg. Or rather the other way round.

The little known Paul Epworth on lead vocals and guitar. Jon Meade channelling/ripping off Jah Wobble (but not very well).